I drew a picture

This happens sometimes - when I'm moody (and don't realize it). But I'm too lazy to polish artwork so it is what it is.

Gym Class Heroes - good song (:

The things you do at 2 am

And the morning after

KS: clenching my teeth makes them a little tender feelin
could've been those weird jerky packets
they were really stale
i kept eating them
weirdddd
me: oh my god
those things were like rock hard
how did u even eat it?
KS: idunno
i just chewed really hard
me: hahahahhahah

Long/Fun weekend = short post

Another weekend has flown by, as they always do. The two birthday parties definitely made it a more memorable non-memory type of weekend. The best.

I'm lazy and tired so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

The one type of pancake-like food I CAN make. Omelet! With parsley & bacon, smothered with cheese. Yommm.

Cupcakes made for J's bday party (: SO MUCH SUGAR. I cackled (seriously, ask my roommate) as I poured the cups and cups of sugar, butter, and more sugar and butter into the mixing bowl. Also made a chocolate ganache cake that required 16 oz (that's an entire bottle) of chocolate syrup. Dear lord.

This week it's.. vegetarian week! And what better way to kick it off than with Chinese food? Chinese food has too many sauces to measure them out and throw them in with measuring spoons. Especially when you forget to put down the previous sauce as you're pouring your new table spoon. OOPS, can we say 1tsp salt and a whole ton of soy sauce? (See eggplants to the right) Still good though. No worries.

Leftover mini cupcakes. This is really going to help my diet. A lot.

Summer Analyst Kat: Day 13

And I have officially been shuffled around to 4 projects - yikes.

Something is brewing/in the works. I won't post about it until it's official but could you do me a favor?

Look at both of your hands
Now take your middle fingers
Place it over your index fingers
Squeeze
And send some positive hopeful vibes my way

Otherwise it's been pretty fun here in ol' Boston. It's great hanging out with people I don't have time to hang out with as often during the school year. Continue for photojournalism:

First time making flank steak... margarita flank steak! ...it was ok. The prosciutto wrapped asparagus was definitely the winner here. Lesson learned was not to cook flank steak for too long.

Next up, shrimp! Pretty darned delicious. I'm so bad at assessing when something is fully cooked. The shrimp was really tender so I assume it was cooked?? The potatoes were pretty dry/bad. Have to work on potato cooking skills.

Snack status. Putting soy sauce in the egg and sprinkling paprika too was a stroke of genius.

Ladies night on monday! 5 dollar Oggis & wine. Also made my own honey garlic vinaigrette, pretty darned good; mopped it up with the pizza crust

Flank steak attempt #2. Except this time I definitely UNDER cooked the steak. Didn't realize until I decided to flip my steak around to where I was cutting and noticed a blood clot. Quickly downed another glass of wine to kill bacteria.

And then yesterday I found out that we have a supply closet with practically everything I had bought... including that 30 dollar blender that hardly works. SIGH!

Yesterday's meal was honey garlic pork loin chops & green onion mashed potatoes w/bacon. The mashed potatoes was yum -- T & R came over and polished them off before I could pack them for lunch, bah!

Today's meal. Pancakes, I swear, are my mortal enemy. I've made seafood pajeong, tortilla patatas, scallion pancakes, pancakes of all cultures and I can NEVER get it right. Poppycock.

Oh well, the apple/onion sauce for the pork loin chops came out very delicious at least.

But sometimes I wonder if all this cooking is worth it. Especially because I grated my index finger knuckle and soapy water really doesn't do much to help.

&Next week it's vegetarian! Look forward to it after adventures this weekend.

Email from Dad

Kat: Is your dad an engineer or manager?
Enjoy it.

A man is flying in a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost. He
reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon
further and shouts: "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised my friend
I would meet him half an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man below says: "Yes. You are in a hot air balloon, hovering
approximately 30 feet above this field. You are between 40 and 42
degrees N. latitude, and between 58 and 60 degrees W. longitude."

"You must be an engineer" says the balloonist.

"I am" replies the man. "How did you know."

"Well" says the balloonist, "everything you have told me is
technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your
information, and the fact is I am still lost."

The man below says "You must be a manager."

"I am" replies the balloonist, "but how did you know?"

"Well", says the man, "you don't know where you are, or where you are
going. You have made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and
you expect me to solve your problem. The fact is you are in the exact
same position you were in before we met, but now it is somehow my
fault."

Summer Analyst Kat: Day Six

Day two of trainings. Things are getting rough, but at least breakfast and lunch are provided. I need to stop waking up so darned early thinking I have to cook eggs and toast. My bread already molded anyway (after 3 days! Oh the humidity!).

After arriving home today I decided to make Teriyaki steak after the success of my previous steak endeavor on Sunday (marinated & grilled, picture below).

A grilled steak with cheese & jalapeno potatoes as an accompaniment. Pretty darned good. Today, however, the steak wouldn't go quietly.

R came by with a bowl of uncooked ramen looking for some hot boiled water. He came in as I was about to place my steak in the pan and so I let him in quickly and put a pot of water on the stove for him, but critically forgot to close the door. Soon after my steak was sizzling away happily, if not very fervently. Too fervently, within minutes a loud, obnoxious noise permeated through the apartment complex. An alarm? A fire alarm? But mine wasn't going off. R reassured me it was definitely someone else's, somewhere down the hall. However, within minutes a loud angry knock came at the door that I only closed minutes after the noise came on (had to shut it out after all, it was annoying and not my fault!).

It was (or maybe it was my fault, how'd they know it was me) a fireman.

"Are you hurt?"

"No.."

"Can I take a look around?"

"Sure"

".... you're... cooking... oh look, there's the food"

"Yup"

"Well, leave the window open next time (it was) and the door closed"

"Thanks sir, sorry about that"

And my sauce got burnt. No more faux asian for me. I'm grillin' all the way.

Luckily, "burnt" is one of my favorite flavors.

Summer Analyst Kat: Day Three

Hey, even interns can be lazy some times. Also, I have left 2 sets of tupperware at the office. I think I'll just leave 5 sets in the office and then pick them all up on Fridays. I mean, why not.

Summer Analyst Kat: Day Two

By day two I have already learned so much

1) Don't think you did a great job your first time around -- you probably didn't

2) Wear flipflops until it is absolutely necessary to wear formal shoes

3) BandAids are your friends

4) The world is ending/thunderstorms that are too close for comfort are not fun

5) George Foreman is a boss and I am a believer. See below for hands down best meal ever.

Grilled chicken skewers and a grilled cheese sandwich

There's no cutting board to be found so a baking sheet it will have to be. Janky but an intern's gotta do what an intern's gotta do. Anyway, who knew salt, pepper, chili, sugar, and oil could be so delicious? I'm grilling everything from now on. Just look at those grill marks! You know it's gotta be good when it's got lines of burnt-ness on it. (And the pesto sauce came in handy -- it's covered in cheese on the second picture)

R came over after dinner and we both feared for the ending of our world as we knew it. To combat our fear we had G&Ts and watched Mad Men (what else would you be doing when the world ends?)

Summer Analyst Kat: Day One

The shuttle shook and shuttered as it took me from Harvard Square to my workplace as it ran on what sounded like a flat tire. Upon arrival I eagerly rush out, across the street, and into the building elevator of my workplace. As I step out of the elevator into the office, the first step I take brings ...pain. The backs of my feet are already rubbed raw. The start to a long summer, I think to myself.

Luckily, things only got better from there. Who knew an off-handed mention of my InDesign skills (USG sub experience, I knew it would come in handy) would label me as a prized possession and land me on my first day in a team working on a case with the biggest bank in the world. Fun!

But here's what really summarizes my first day:

This pesto was probably the most difficult thing I've ever cooked/made. In the span of a short half an hour that blender (in the background) became the bane of my existence. Who knew you had to put liquids in a blender to make it work? Hmm??? Who knew it would just whirl things around pointlessly otherwise forcing you to try to mortal and pestle the pesto with a rolling pin (also pictured) and a small milk jug? Who knew??

Anyway, it eventually got made and placed in a container to eat the next day. Of course I had to take a picture to celebrate. And of course I then forgot to put it back in the fridge.

(And yes I ended up eating it for the next 2 days for lunch anyway, it was fiinnnee)